A Gift For Subaru kun
by Kyou-chan2
Summary: SS, yaoi. Seishirou can't seem to find the right birthday gift for his prey...written for Koichi's bday! reposted.


Disclaimer: TB? Not mine. X/1999? Not mine either. The giant purple monkey of doom? Mine, but not in this fic…

Wooo! Welcome to the special birthday fanfic! Who is the birthday girl, you ask? It's HER! (points at Koichi) Everyone dogpile her, and congratulate our dear Sakurazuka-chan/ Koichi a happy nineteenth birthday, an age that means…well, relatively nothing other than the fact she's still alive! Happy b-day Koichi!

Luv,

Kyou-chan

* * *

** A Gift for Subaru-kun**

Sakurazuka Seishirou sat hunched over a rapidly cooling paper cup of tea in a crowded food court at the mall. Being accustomed to Tokyo's teeming streets, crowds were never a hindrance to him; on the contrary, they often provided him unknowingly with a seamless shroud for his work. Nevertheless, as he sat there under the stinging neon lights, surrounded by the mindless banter of ignorant teens, he found it difficult to concentrate on the seemingly easy mission he had before him.

He recalled the night before when the tea in front of him was warm and sweet, and most notably, in a bizarre mug in the shape of a cat.

"Sei-chan!" moaned Hokuto over the kitchen counter. "Which would you pick, chocolate or strawberry?"

Glancing up from the mug he beamed cordially at the elder Sumeragi twin. "Whatever for, Hokuto-chan? You're not planning the honeymoon for me and Subaru-kun already, are you?"

"S-S-Seishirou-san!" came the horrified squeak of his prey. Subaru gaped at them both in shock.

"Sei-chan," she replied almost admonishingly, although the expression over her face was very amused, "Will you stop planning on how you're gonna bed my little brother for one second! This is important, and you're certainly not going to make a very good husband if you don't know that your bride-to-be or your sister-in-law's birthday is tomorrow!"

The veterinarian blinked. Birthday? It was early September, and recalled that the young onmyouji had let it slip that his real birthday was in February at their "date" several weeks ago. He glanced at Subaru with a false mask of surprise, all the while knowing that this was only a false celebration to hide the Sumeragi's origins.

Subaru blushed guiltily as he expected the adorable boy to, yet Seishirou quickly gave his reply to Hokuto's dilemma. "If you ask me, why don't you make it a chocolate cake with strawberry icing, and," he added with a purr at Subaru, "Maybe some ice cream to keep things interesting."

"Ohohohohohoho!" squealed the girl. "Why Sei-chan, you aren't planning to give him a _special_ present, are you?" She goaded while Subaru shrieked a 'Ho-Hokuto-chan!' from under his hat.

He grinned lecherously. "Well perhaps we will find out tomorrow. By the way, I trust I'm invited to this little celebration?"

"Of course! I wouldn't dream of keeping my dearest brother-in-law away! Come tomorrow night, Sei-chan. Subaru-kun would be devastated to be celebrating such an important occasion without his lover!"

"Then I'll be sure to bring something extra special for my future sister, and my lovely Subaru-kun," he declared with a confident smirk.

Hokuto giggled. Subaru fell over.

What he didn't say is that he had no present to give to either of them, and with the get together tonight, he found himself in the mall on his lunch hour. He expected this little detour on his schedule would have remained insignificant and simple like most things in his straightforward lifestyle as a "gentle" veterinarian. He was wrong, and that bothered him.

Hokuto's gift had been easy enough to obtain, a collection of assorted jewelry, with the sort of tasteful tackiness that Seishirou had no trouble seeing the elder twin adoring. Yet choosing a suitable present for her beautiful brother had proven itself far more difficult.

As he mulled over his tea in that unyielding food court chair, he let his mind wander to a simple question. _What did sixteen-year-old boys want?_ For the first time, he purposefully gazed beyond the paper cup to the surrounding tables around him, taking note of a group of teens around his prey's age.

They were a gangly sight; their hair combed and gelled to no avail slipping over their faces as they clung to their skateboards beneath the table. Their uniforms were unkempt and jackets unbuttoned, yet this did not seem to catch anyone's attention as they spoke to one another in low voices, occasionally pausing to ogle a schoolgirl who mistakenly wandered too close to the table.

Seishirou frowned; it almost disgusted him to imagine his gentle and sweet Subaru-kun in the throngs of such youth. Really, boys today…

Subaru was quite the opposite of any of these ordinary boys, being quiet and soft and adorable—especially adorable the way that he blushed and squealed effeminately making it tempting to devour him whole. Nonetheless, this had sparked another idea to his mind, and his honey eyes followed the timid schoolgirl.

_If Subaru-kun is the opposite of a teenage boy, then what would a sixteen-year-old girl want? _But the moment he asked himself this, he knew it was a ridiculous thought. The schoolgirl rejoined her friends who were all holding bags of summer dresses and skirts. As interesting as it might be to see the Sumeragi's delicate legs in one of those short, ruffled skirts, he did not think it was quite the appropriate present— for the younger man, at least.

He abandoned his quest to place Subaru in any one group of teenagers, and reviewed, once again, his vast knowledge of the boy. Of course, his first inclination would have been to find the young onmyouji a cat or dog to cuddle with; the sparkle in Subaru's gorgeous emeralds whenever he was around an animal made that a first choice of presents. Yet Seishirou doubted that the boy would ever find the time to dote on a pet with school and his usual exorcisms, and in the end, it might only sadden him to have a neglected pet.

Not that soaking up his prey's sorrow wasn't as delicious as everything else about him, but it was Subaru's birthday, pretend or not, and as the kind man he had disguised himself to be, Seishirou had to be thoughtful.

Therefore, his next thought was to purchase a stuffed animal at the toy store, but annoyingly enough, this did not seem to be the right gift either. A birthday, especially a sixteenth birthday, was meant to observe someone growing more mature. What other sixteen-year-old boy would be sleeping with stuffed bunnies and kitties?

Although he did not show it, he was beginning to feel an ember of frustration. Why was he thinking so hard about what gift the boy would treasure when the way that the bet was going, Subaru would not live to see his seventeenth birthday?

He mulled over that realization curiously. _Why, indeed?_ Yet more frustrating was that Seishirou regarded that thought with reluctance. He had not even thought of the bet when he came here searching for a gift, and he certainly was not thinking of how he intended to murder his prey. In fact, the idea of killing his Subaru-kun at that moment made his eye twitch.

Now why would he do that?

Seishirou dismissed his misgivings as an unpleasant side-effect of all the thought he was giving to the matter. Really, it couldn't be that hard to find a gift for the Sumeragi. Yet he was even beginning to consider asking Hokuto for advice—an idea that he rejected outright. He expected the little vixen to recommend reservations for a local motel, and although it had its merits, Subaru would probably faint from all the blood rushing to his head before they had a chance to get him out of the apartment door.

The veterinarian briefly checked his watch, and was surprised to find that his lunch hour had ended twenty minutes ago. This was only irritating because such a simple thing had complicated itself to the point that he could not even run this insignificant errand under an hour. The animals could wait; after all, they were not going to be better off the next time he had to use a spell.

Sighing to himself, Seishirou rose from his food court table, and after carrying his now-cold cup of tea to the trash bin, he started back toward the shops of the mall. Most windows he passed were filled with the latest fashions, and he reminded himself that clothes were the last thing Subaru needed, even if he would look charming in a simple pair of tight blue jeans.

He kept walking past the windows, trying to block out the image of the teen wearing those clothes instead of the manikins, but he could not help but envision Subaru in each outfit he passed whether it was made for men or women. He kept seeing that delicate face, and those jade eyes that gleamed of innocence. He would have been ready to put an electric drill to his head to get out the images, but unfortunately for Seishirou, his more carnal thoughts were taking over.

The next shop displayed expensive silk lingerie and most likely had other things in the back that were not appropriate to be sitting in the window for the public to view. As much as he fought it, he could not block out mischievous ideas of the boy scantily clad in such things, of his virginal, boyish voice cracking with pleasure as Seishirou had his way with him, as he lay on top of Subaru running his tongue along—

_NO. _

He growled inwardly to himself. Right now it was all he could do to keep control of himself in this public setting. How could that happen, how could the very thought of his prey suddenly cloud any of his other rational thoughts so that he could almost lose his self-control! Seishirou shivered at the thought that he almost let his lust get the better of him.

He just had to keep reminding himself that lust was not an emotion; it was not love. Just because he saw Subaru in all of those windows or took so long with finding the right birthday gift didn't mean he was feeling something for the emerald-eyed teen.

_Of course not._

In order to drive out his current thoughts, Seishirou made a point to duck into the next store, keeping his eyes forward. The veterinarian breathed with relief to find himself facing shelves of books. It was a welcome change from the last shop, and he mused that he could easily find something here that the Sumeragi would like.

Perhaps he could play the part of the ignorant, humble veterinarian and purchase a book on exorcisms or curses?

No, Subaru-kun would not like that. He would smile and pretend it was appreciated, but really throw it to the back of his bookshelf, or maybe he might even feel hurt that he was only considered for his profession, not the person few rarely came to appreciate other than Hokuto-chan and himsel—

_Stop thinking like that!_

By now Seishirou was developing a facial tick trying to destroy his wandering thoughts about the onmyouji. His fists momentarily clenched, but he was able to close his eyes and refocus. Maybe the boy would like a text involving animals or zoo keeping—one of those childish and innocent hobbies Subaru adored. He dutifully started down an aisle of shelves, his eyes scanning the various titles. Yet he quickly saw that something was amiss: Eternal Lovers, Kama Sutra, 101 Ways to Make Him Scream, The Fifty-Minute Orgasm, You and Your—

_GAH!_

What was wrong with him? His frustration with himself was swiftly boiling into anger.

_Just find the blasted book on animals and be done with it! _Seishirou wanted to yell. His search was growing more desperate after every cover he read.

It was like the world was teasing him, attempting to shatter his cool predatory demeanor. Worst of all, it wasn't lust for his prey that was tempting him anymore—every book title he read over now reminded him of the boy in the littlest ways. His bright green eyes, his rose-petal lips, his silky hair—why?

The bookshelves were sneering at him, but he could not smile back with that kind veterinarian mask of his. He was suddenly aware of his pulse rising and his heart wavering with an unfamiliar tickle. He wanted to escape from it all, and tried to do so by briskly striding out of the bookstore and into the crowded mall.

Seishirou felt a calmness briefly wash over him that he was far away from those mocking books, but much to his dread, the first thought to slither through his mind was that he still was without a gift for Subaru.

_To hell with it! It can't be so hard to just buy a present and get it over with! Quit thinking and just buy the first thing you see!_

The mall grew quiet around him, and he realized that he had drawn several frightened stares. Seishirou blinked. Did he…just say all that aloud?

"U-um, Sir?" stammered a girl in a work apron, who was timidly seizing her chance. "If you're looking to buy something special for your koibito, I might have the thing…"

He glared at the word "koibito"—his prey _was not_ his _koibito_. Certainly he could joke about it in his own twisted amusement, but it was bothersome for others to assume such a thing. Yet the part of him he wanted to stab with a screwdriver had to ask…_why was it bothering him if it was a mere lie?_

The glare hardened, and he contemplated killing the girl behind a dark alley somewhere, but at this point, he was too annoyed and confused to bother. Seishirou put on a false smile and followed the girl to a stand that was set up only a few feet away from where he stood. After all, if this proved to be yet another waste of his time, he could always destroy her later.

She chattered on while he examined a particular item with intrigue. He was ready to buy anything so long as it got him away from this damnable mall and his pestering thoughts of the Sumeragi, but this particular gift somehow appealed to him. He smiled creepily at the object, and found himself quickly paying for it moments later.

"Arigato. He will like it very much."

An expression of shock at 'he' came over the girl's face, but the assassin had already turned away. Seconds later, he walked out of the mall with the gift, a craving to smoke a box of cigarettes all at once, and a rather bad migraine.

"Oh Sei-chan! I absolutely love these earrings! Oh and the bracelets too! You really know how to shop for a lady!" declared Hokuto, who was twirling around with pride in one of her strange creations, displaying the equally strange jewelry.

"I am glad to please my sister-in-law," he chirped with a grin. "And might I compliment you on the delicious cake you created!"

She beamed excitedly about that, and began to blather on about a wedding cake or something to that extent. However, Seishirou found himself more focused on the younger twin that timidly sat next to him. It was an odd thing that he should suddenly find himself so entranced by his prey, who with every moment in the conversation was reddening more and more, and squeaking with protest at his sister. It was nothing new from their normal routine, but Subaru was a thing of exotic beauty, made to satisfy whatever grave illness had come over him. He couldn't help but lay all his attention on the blushing boy.

"Sei-chan! Are you undressing my brother with your eyes?" exclaimed Hokuto with a cat-like leer.

The veterinarian had to resist the urge to frown; he had wished she hadn't said that. The elder Sumeragi twin had hit the truth too closely for his liking, and it annoyed him that she was able to actually register his thoughts. Nevertheless, she shook with laughter while Subaru let an undignified squeal escape and pulled the rim of his hat over his large eyes.

"While it's impossible for me to resist thinking about our wedding night, I was wondering if Subaru-kun was considering my gift worthy enough for opening," he replied quickly.

Subaru glanced down at the small box in his hands as if noticing for the first time. The blush remained fixed over his cheeks, and he tried to stammer out something, but Hokuto angrily held him by the shoulders. "Subaru! How can you refuse to open something from your dear Sei-chan! I bet he chose your gift with love, and you're just stomping all over it!" she growled.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" whimpered the boy frantically.

Realizing that was his cue to assume his roll, Seishirou made himself look as downtrodden as possible. "It's alright…after all, someone as adorable as Subaru-kun must receive plenty of gifts from suitors, and I'm just an aging veterinarian…" But beneath his act, Seishirou felt the slightest twinge of excitement to see the onmyouji's face at the present.

"S-Seishirou-san, n-no! I, I didn't mean to—I'll o-open it right now!" cried Subaru, whose shaking, gloved hands began undoing the top of the animal-themed wrapping paper.

The room went silent as Subaru hesitantly opened the plain box, and pulled out a small, porcelain bottle with flowers painted at the bottom. The moment the Sumeragi realized what it was, he turned pink, with a mixture of surprise and hidden gratitude on his face. Seishirou smiled to himself at that—he did not doubt that he had found the right gift.

Hokuto broke the silence with an amused giggle. "Sei-chan, you bought Subaru _perfume_?"

Upon noticing the intimate nature of the present, Subaru turned cherry, but nonetheless kept his attention on the glass vial.

"I couldn't help myself," admitted Seishirou, with a hint of truth under his kind tone. "It reminded me of how beautiful Subaru-kun is." He then gently took the bottle from Subaru, but also one of the onmyouji's slender wrists. The tantalizing aroma of the bottle misted over the teen's pale flesh, and he leaned in a breath away from his lips. "Can you guess which scents are in the bottle?" he challenged sweetly.

He felt Subaru's heartbeat race from the closeness they shared, but was surprised to feel his own pulse rising in suit. The urge to take in the boy's supple lips was particularly strong tonight. "I-I-I, um…r-roses and vanilla…"

"And?" purred Seishirou in a low voice.

The Sumeragi's brow furrowed adorably, and Seishirou again had to curse the overwhelming instinct to ravish the boy right then and there. "I-I…don't know…"

His smile was turning more predatory, and he took in the familiar scent his prey now wore. "Sakura," he answered. The arm that did not hold Subaru's wrist prisoner unconsciously shifted around his delicate frame. With his self-control dwindling, Seishirou began to move closer with every intention to wrap his mouth over his prey's.

"Hey-hey-hey! That couch you're on is new! Go mess around at Subaru's apartment, you two!" Squealed Hokuto.

The spell broken, Seishirou released the teen with both relief and annoyance that their moment had been interrupted. Subaru's face looked like it was on fire, but in his eyes, he noticed a very different emotion. Was there disappointment in the onmyouji's emeralds?

The atmosphere of the apartment plunged back into its normal course of things, and that flicker was gone before Seishirou could fully realize what he saw that instant. The minutes then passed into another hour of ritual teasing and sweet talking between the three, with plenty of birthday cake on Hokuto's end. Seishirou drifted through it all patiently and without incidence although his lust for the boy was bubbling and the base of his mind.

After what seemed to be an eternity for the conflicted veterinarian, the festivities of the fake birthday party drew to a close, and Hokuto shooed them away. The two of them were alone, then, in the abandoned hallway outside Subaru's apartment.

What was left of Seishirou's common sense told him to say good-bye to the sweet Sumeragi, and part ways to avoid another slip of his mask today. Unfortunately, there was a much more overpowering urge to throw Subaru against the wall lay famished kisses against over every inch of pale skin he could expose.

His head was spinning, and he loathed himself for becoming weak in his prey's presence.

He was ready to throw himself down the stairs if need be, but before he could take a step away from the apartment door, a gentle voice called to him. "Seishirou-san?"

He reluctantly let his eyes fall over the boy whose jade eyes were deliciously wide. "Yes, Subaru-kun?" he queried as collectively as he could.

Subaru looked up shyly, playing with the perfume bottle in his thin hands. A gentle, breakable smile formed at his lips. "Th-thank you…very much, but…you didn't need to get me anything…"

"Whatever do you mean, Subaru-kun?"

"You know that today isn't my birthday. Yet you still went out and bought something for me…" he whispered guiltily.

It was becoming harder for him to leave each passing second. "But Hokuto-chan doesn't know that. And besides, I didn't meet you until your real birthday had already passed. Think of this as a belated present and token of my love."

Subaru blushed and thanked him once again. Oh, Kami, why did he have to blush right then? It was everything tempting the assassin-in-disguise. That sweet little smile over his pink lips, the naive glitter in his eyes, and the scent of the perfume—that seducing smell of innocent rose and the sakura, which marked the teen as his and only his to take and plunder mercilessly—Subaru was irresistible.

The young Sumeragi set down the vessel of perfume to fumble with the keys to his apartment door, but the keys soon clattered onto the floor right next to it a second later. Unable to resist the impulses any longer, Seishirou pinned him against the door.

Subaru gazed up at him with wide-eyed astonishment. "Sei-Seishirou-san?" he cried uncertainly.

Seishirou stared back, fighting in vain to win mastery over his desire. His low voice rolled darkly. "Subaru-kun."

The young man looked like he was about to reply, but his words turned to a loud gasp. Seishirou's warm hand had moved through the confining layers of his shirt and jacket to caress the small of his back while he nuzzled the frail wrist that held the scent of the perfume. Yet Subaru made no effort to move or even shift away. He stared directly at the man who held him captive with a deep blush splashed across his face.

_Interesting,_ Seishirou mused, and he began running his lips over that wrist, first softly but then with the full force of a starved kiss. The boy allowed this too, savoring the contact with another uncertain gasp, and his kisses began to travel up his arm. Seishirou softly kneaded the tender skin on the boy's back, massaging gradually lower in a search for the one spot that would make him squeak with unfamiliar pleasure.

He found it at the top of his tailbone, and grinned to hear the onmyouji's soft voice moan under his fondling. Seishirou kept his fingers in that spot, while running his other hand over Subaru's delicate chest. He lightly pushed his hips into the boy's.

"O-oh, S-Seishirou-san…" whimpered Subaru against him.

Seishirou looked down into the Sumeragi's eyes which were overflowing with excitement but also sparks of fear. There was no question that the teen was enjoying this, but a glance into his expression told the assassin that Subaru was not ready to be completely tasted. The boy trembled in his arms so horribly and he was practically magenta with shame at what they were doing—in a public hall no less. All it took was that scared face to sober his lust.

His hands retreated from their place under Subaru's shirt, and he wrapped his arms around his prey's waist. Subaru was breathing heavily as was Seishirou, but he gave the onmyouji a reassuring smile.

"So beautiful," he whispered before his lips touched Subaru's in a warm kiss. The teen sunk into this with an amazed moan, but was unaware until it was too late that Seishirou was summoning a sleeping spell over him. In the last seconds of the kiss, Subaru sagged forward.

He held his unconscious prize there for a few lingering seconds in confusion. Why, after all that had happened today—after he had the boy where he wanted him, was he able to stop himself? Every ounce of his self-control as the Sakurazukamori was not enough to stop him from giving into his want for his prey, and yet he was able to stop in the heat of it all. What did it?

_Because…_

Images of frightened green eyes resonated through his head.

_Because…Subaru-kun was afraid._

Seishirou frowned. Lust was not an emotion, but compassion and affection were. He had not been in control right then; he couldn't have assumed his act of being a falsely kind veterinarian…so where had such an action come from? This wasn't right…it wasn't supposed to happen this way…

He was so busy brooding that he almost forgot the adorable boy sleeping against him. Without thinking, Seishirou scooped him into his arms, and recovered the fallen set of keys from the floor. Once he had the door open, he also picked up the fragile bottle of perfume, and stepped into the quiet apartment. Seishirou did not even bother turning on the lights, and went straight to the Sumeragi's bedroom.

He thoughtfully laid the boy against the mattress, but when he went to untie Subaru's shoes, a soft moan halted him.

"Sei…shi….ou…an…."

This ignited a flicker inside him, and deep inside, he knew that he could not deny why or how he felt this. He covered Subaru's rising and falling frame with the silky sheets, and then turned his attention to the small bottle he still carried.

Such a strange thing to give a young boy, in retrospect. He had bought it out of desperation and frustration, but somehow it seemed to be the perfect gift, and it still was. A fragile, pale bottle, easy to shatter and treasure at the same time, holding the sweetest scents of rose and soft vanilla, and a particular aroma that belonged to just him… Perfect indeed.

Seishirou closed his eyes and savored the flavor of sakura drifting in the air. And smiled.

"Happy Birthday, Subaru-kun."

_Owari_


End file.
